The time has come for Friday 5!

October 24th 2008 by E..

of Montreal - “Gallery Piece” from Skeletal Lamping
As one of countless songs on his new album (many of the 15 songs are made up of jagged fragments), “Gallery Piece” is a classic Kevin Barnes pop gem…with lyrics ranging from “I want to show you off” to “I want to kiss your friends,” it’s clear that Barnes’ alter-ego, “Georgie Fruit,” has a lot on his mind…you can check out Skeletal Lamping in many forms, including CD, vinyl, t-shirt and probably a built-it-yourself bookshelf…

Calexico - “Two Silver Trees” from Carried To Dust

The psychedelic country stylists are back with another album packed with moody tunes recalling the American southwest…the album reunites Calexico with frequent collaborator Sam Beam (a.k.a. Iron & Wine), who worked with the band on their 2005 EP In The Reins, and on Dylan’s “Dark Eyes” for the I’m Not There soundtrack…the music is totally in line with Beam’s ethereal voice, as well as Calexico leader Joey Burns’, of course…

Concrete Blonde - “Still In Hollywood” from Concrete Blonde

1986 saw the debut record from the Los Angeles punk group, and frontwoman/bassist Johnette Napolitano gave the music a proto-riot grrrl edge…Napolitano was also the touring lead singer for The Heads, a group made up of the members of Talking Heads, sans David Byrne…Concrete Blonde scored some hits with a few of their lighter tracks, but this song is one of the more aggressive (and enjoyable) in their catalogue…

Southern Culture On The Skids - “Nitty Gritty” from Dirt Track Date

Speaking of female bass players, Mary Huff takes the lead on this song from the southern swamp-surfers’ best-known disc…along with their mix of surf and garage were some radio-ready (if not unconventional) pop songs…I mean, what station wouldn’t want to play a song about an 8-piece box?…Southern Culture have been on tour for a while supporting their covers album, Countrypolitan Favorites, and might have something new on the way soon…

Belle & Sebastian - “Stay Loose” from Dear Catastrophe Waitress

Until I heard the non-album single “Le Pastie De La Bourgeoisie,” this was my favorite Belle & Sebastian song…it’s certainly deserving of that honor, as the rather long tune incorporates just about everything I love about the Scottish popsters…a bouncy farfisa, a retro vibe, and a rather simple chord progression, it’s sweet without being tooth-rotting…I was sad to find out that Belle & Sebastian are currently on a temporary hiatus, but they are releasing a two-disc collection of BBC sessions and other rarities, so all is not lost…let’s just hope that this hiatus doesn’t go the way of Moxy Früvous’ ill-fated hiatus…

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